City Council tables historic guidelines for downtown
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on November 18, 2015 1:46 PM
The Goldsboro City Council pulled a vote on new historic district guidelines from its agenda on Monday night after some discussion of the proposed regulations.
During the council's work session, council members voted unanimously to remove the approval of revisions to the guidelines from the meeting's consent agenda.
The proposed revisions pertain to signs, awnings, sidewalk and outdoor dining, outdoor displays, canopies, balconies, decks and pergolas.
Following a presentation of the guidelines by urban designer Allison Platt, who created them, Mayor Pro-Tem Chuck Allen questioned some particulars about the proposed rules.
Allen began by questioning a requirement in the guidelines that would force businesses in the historic district to have enclosures around any outdoor dining areas. He asked Platt why the rule for enclosures was necessary.
"It's a state law," Ms. Platt said. "If you have outdoor tables, you have to have the barriers coming out from the building for the people who are visually impaired."
Allen noted that cities such as Raleigh and Carrboro have plenty of outdoor dining areas that are not within enclosures.
Ms. Platt then said if that is the case then they are breaking state law.
"I'm not arguing with you, but I don't think that's correct," Allen said. "Raleigh doesn't do it, Carrboro doesn't do it, I don't think Asheville does it -- I mean, they can't all be breaking the law, I don't think. Or either they're just never checked. But my question is that I don't see that as much in other towns as we are here. That's why I'm asking why."
Ms. Platt said she could check on the specifics of any state-mandated guidelines or laws for outdoor dining areas, but that she believes bars should be required to have the enclosures regardless.
"I do think if you're serving alcohol you absolutely want an enclosed space, because, otherwise, I can think of one particular establishment that is not using barriers and basically what's happening is people are moving their tables and chairs all over the sidewalk," Ms. Platt said. "And also because of underage people being on the sidewalk, I think it's a very good idea to have them contained."
Allen again protested the proposed requirement, saying he knew of other areas in other cities where foot traffic goes freely through the outdoor areas -- including those that serve alcohol.
"A lot of sidewalks in a lot of places I've seen, like you look at Cameron Village and some other places, they actually let the traffic flow through the tables," Allen said. "I'm not 100 percent sure -- I'm worried about all these fences taking on a different look. I mean, aesthetically, I'm worried that they're all going to end up as a hodge-podge downtown. I'm just saying we should be sure of what we're doing."
Ms. Platt responded to Allen's inquiry by saying, "Well, this is the first anybody's questioned it, so, I guess we'll have to take a look at that."
Allen also questioned the guideline that would force the use of posts to support awnings to be approved by exception to the guidelines only, saying most everywhere else in North Carolina allows that, too.
Ms. Platt said using posts, especially thinner posts, would create the possibility of somebody running into them or tripping over them if they don't see them.
Following Ms. Platt's presentation of the proposed guidelines, District 6 council member Gene Aycock made a motion to remove the item from the consent agenda. The motion was seconded by both District 4 council member Charles Williams and District 2 council member Bill Broadaway.
The council voted unanimously in favor of removing the item from the consent agenda. It will be brought back before the council at a later date.